Shifting device for a transmission of motor vehicles

Abstract

A shifting device for a transmission of motor vehicles, wherein a gearshift lever is coupled during the shifting process with a control lug, which reflects a signal, which is sent as a signal corresponding to the shift position of the gearshift lever to a control unit of the transmission.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A shifting device for a transmission of motor vehicles, comprising: a gearshift selector lever;   a shift lever duct with a duct opening, said selector lever being pivotable within said shift lever duct around a selector axis located deeper than said duct opening;   spring loaded locking means for providing spring forces acting at right angles to said duct opening for holding said shift lever in at least one of a plurality of shift positions, said shift positions being disposed laterally offset in relation to one another, said shift lever being manually pivotable in a shift position associated with the automatic shifting for the stepwise shifting of the gears of the transmission;   a plurality of sensors, each sensor being disposed adjacent to a shifting position; and   a control lug provided with signal surfaces, said gearshift selector lever being coupled with said control lug, said control lug being movable to locations with at least one of said signal surfaces disposed adjacent to one of said sensors, wherein at least one of said sensors transmit a signal corresponding to a shift position of said gearshift lever to a control unit of the transmission.   
     
     
       2. The shifting device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said sensors are optical sensors said signal surfaces of said control lug are reflection surfaces. 
     
     
       3. The shifting device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said sensors are Hall sensors and said signal surfaces of said control lug are magnetized areas. 
     
     
       4. The shifting device in accordance with claim 1 wherein forces for feeling the shifting movements of the gearshift selector lever in the gearshift mechanism are generated by means of surfaces having a defined profile in contact with said locking means. 
     
     
       5. The shifting device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a sliding block, said gearshift selector being restrictedly guided under its fulcrum point in said sliding block. 
     
     
       6. A shifting device in accordance with claim 5, wherein: said sliding block defines a plurality of slots and includes damping elements positioned at ends of said slots.   
     
     
       7. A shifting device in accordance with claim 5, wherein: said sensors are fastened to a printed circuit board.   
     
     
       8. A shifting device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising: a housing, said gearshift selector lever being pivotal in said housing, said control lug being separately pivotal in said housing from said gearshift selector lever for movement into said locations.   
     
     
       9. A shifting device in accordance with claim 8, further comprising: a spring biasing said control lug into one of said locations.   
     
     
       10. A shifting device for a transmission of motor vehicles, comprising: a gearshift selector lever;   a plurality of sensors, each sensor being disposed adjacent to a shifting position; and   a control lug provided with signal surfaces, said gearshift selector lever being coupled with said control lug, said control lug being movable to locations with at least one of said signal surfaces disposed adjacent to one of said sensors, wherein at least one of said sensors transmit a signal corresponding to a shift position of said gearshift lever to a control unit of the transmission;   a shift lever duct with a duct opening, said selector lever being pivotable within said shift lever duct around a selector axis located deeper than said duct opening;   spring loaded locking means for providing spring forces acting at right angles to said duct opening for holding said shift lever in at least one of a plurality of shift positions, said shift positions being disposed laterally offset in relation to one another, said shift lever being manually pivotable in a shift position associated with the automatic shifting for the stepwise shifting of the gears of the transmission;   a surface structure defining surfaces, wherein forces for feeling the shifting movements of the gearshift selector lever in the gearshift mechanism are generated by surfaces having a defined profile in contact with said locking means.   
     
     
       11. A shifting device in accordance with claim 10, wherein: said control lug is movable to move one of said signal surfaces into and out of detection by said one sensor.   
     
     
       12. A shifting device in accordance with claim 10, wherein: said control lug is movable to move a different one of said signal surfaces into and out of detection by a different one of said sensors in each of said shift positions.   
     
     
       13. A shifting device in accordance with claim 10, wherein: said control lug is selectively movable to move different said signal surfaces into and out of detection by different said sensors in each of said shift positions to create a plurality of binary codings, each of said binary encodings corresponding to one of said shift positions.   
     
     
       14. A shifting device in accordance with claim 10, wherein: said control lug defines a slot and said gearshift lever includes a pin positioned in said slot for moving said control lug into said locations.   
     
     
       15. The shifting device in accordance with claim 10 wherein said sensors are optical sensors said signal surfaces of said control lug are reflection surfaces. 
     
     
       16. The shifting device in accordance with claim 10 wherein said sensors are Hall sensors and said signal surfaces of said control lug are magnetized areas. 
     
     
       17. The shifting device in accordance with claim 10, further comprising a sliding block, said gearshift selector being restrictedly guided under its fulcrum point in said sliding block.